This invention relates to non-refilling devices for containers of liquids such as fine spirits. The invention especially (but not necessarily) relates to such devices which are designed to be substantially or wholly received in the mouth region of the container; for brevity they are accordingly referred to hereinafter as xe2x80x9cin-bore non-refilling devicesxe2x80x9d.
In-bore non-refilling devices may be used in association with a capsule or closure which has a generally plane crown to overlie the container mouth, and a tubular skirt which depends peripherally from the crown and is adapted to embrace the container outside the non-refilling device. Often, the capsule is of thin metal, and to attach it removably to the container has thread formations rolled into its skirt when it is in its fitted position on the container. The threads are conformed automatically to underlying threads on the container to provide a required threaded engagement between the two.
Usually, at the same time as the thread is formed the free edge of the skirt is rolled inwardly under an annular shoulder of the container so as in combination with a line of weakening formed around the skirt to form a tamperevident or security band. When the closure is unscrewed for the first time this band separates from the remainder of the closure, thereby leaving visual evidence that an attempt has been made to open the container. A closure of this kind is usually referred to as a ROPP (Roll-On PilferProof) closure.
Whilst such a tamperevident arrangement may provide a high degree of security for a ROPP closure, it may be possible for a potential tamperer to remove the closure leaving the tamperevident band intact, and to reinstate the closure to visually its original state after adulterating or otherwise changing the liquid contents of the container. In-bore non-refilling devices are intended to avoid this possibility by preventing the addition of a liquid or solid substance through the container mouth.
Some earlier proposals of in-bore non-refilling devices are shown in Patent Publications U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,854, GB 2026428A, and WO 96/04179. From those and other similar publications it will be seen that the device essentially comprises a hollow housing which can be push-fitted into the container mouth and suitably retained in position, and a valve member received and held movably captive within the housing and capable of engaging a valve seat provided by the housing so as to prevent an adulterant from being introduced into the container, whilst allowing liquid flow in the other direction for dispensing in the normal way.
In WO 96/04179 the device has a closure disc having a peripheral margin which is arranged to overlie the rim of the container in sealing relation and is capable of being engaged at its free edge with a closure or capsule so that the device and the closure or capsule can be applied as one when the container is closed initially at the bottling plant. The closure disc is removably attached to the housing of the device so that removal of the closure or capsule also removes the disc, leaving the housing with the valve member still retained in the container. Furthermore, in WO 96/04179 the housing is arranged to provide a valve guard by which to prevent direct access to the valve member by an implement (e.g. tweezers or wire) or a water jet in an attempt to dislodge the valve member.
A further proposal for an in-bore non-refilling device is described and claimed in GB patent specification No. 2008531B owned by the present Applicants. In that specification the device has a housing, valve member and valve guard as previously discussed. In addition it has, as an additional anti-tampering feature, an arrangement of the housing in two parts which are integrally formed by frangible bridges. Any attempt to remove the device from the container, for example by engaging a hooked wire with the accessible upper part of the device, will result in fracturing of the bridges, so leaving evidence of the tampering.
The present invention seeks to provide a non-refilling device having desirable features such as are variously described above but integrated together in a manner which in relative terms is cheap to mould and easy to assemble and apply to a container, and which furthermore provides in use a high degree of security against tampering, and satisfactory pouring.
In accordance with the invention from a first aspect there is therefore provided a non-refilling device which is insertable at least in part in a container neck, characterised in that the valve member of the device has two valve heads arranged back-to-back and each having a circular sealing face which may serve for sealing. Advantageously each valve head is generally conical, the conical surfaces of the valve heads being in generally spaced opposition to one another along the valve member.
The valve heads may be joined together by a central shaft of substantially smaller cross-sectional dimensions than the valve heads, and radially projecting webs may extend between the valve heads and the central shaft (if provided) to control product flow past the valve member.
The webs may terminate in free edges which extend linearly between the outside peripheries of the valve heads, but in a preferred arrangement the free edge of each web is formed of two equal and oppositely inclined edge portions so that it forms a triangular projection beyond an imaginary line joining the valve heads directly together. When the housing is in position in the container neck the outer ones of the edge portions may cooperate with a correspondingly inclined, interior surface of the housing to determine the dispensing position of the valve member in the body and prevent the valve member from being removed by a tamperer.
In accordance with the invention from a second aspect there is provided a non-refilling device for a container neck, which comprises:
a) tubular housing insertable into the container neck and having engagement means to maintain it in that position, the housing being hollow and having apertures at inner and outer ends thereof to allow product to flow along the housing for dispensing, the inner end having a said aperture surrounded by a valve seat;
b) a valve member held loosely captive within the housing for sealing engagement with the valve seat; and
c) a closure disc separably engageable with the outer end of the housing and having a peripheral margin by which it is permanently engageable with a closure to be located over the container neck, when the closure and device and in closing relation with the container the peripheral margin of the closure disc overlying the container rim but the closure disc being separable from the housing so that the closure can be removed together with the closure disc leaving the housing and valve member in place for dispensing product, the device being characterised by an outwardly projecting thin and compliant flange formed around the housing at a position to be interposed between the container rim and the peripheral margin of the closure disc, in sealing relation with both the container rim and the peripheral margin.
Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.